Deadline set for security checks

Gordon Brown has demanded that root-and-branch checks on the Government's data security are completed within weeks as he struggled to restore confidence after the child benefit records debacle.

With polls suggesting that the crisis has sparked a slump in public support, the Prime Minister set a deadline of December 10 for all Whitehall departments and their agencies to review systems.

Research by Populus for The Times found only a quarter of voters now regarded the Government as "competent and capable" - down a massive 30 points in less than three months.

The proportion who were confident in Labour's ability to handle economic problems has also tumbled from 61% to 28% over the past month.

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for Channel 4 News put the Tories nine points ahead on 41% - one of their best positions for 15 years.

Most of those surveyed (81%) pinned the blame for the loss of the data by HM Revenue and Customs on the junior official who put the CDs of sensitive data in the post, closely followed by former HMRC boss Paul Gray, who resigned over the scandal (77%).

However, a majority (55%) considered Chancellor Alistair Darling should share some of the responsibility and nearly half (49%) said the same of Mr Brown.

Opening a charity shop in his Edinburgh constituency, Mr Darling repeatedly dodged questions over whether he had considered resigning over the lost data, saying only: "This is a difficult issue and I intend to see it through."

The Opposition has seized on the release of Whitehall e-mails about the transfer of 25 million individuals' personal details to pile further pressure on the Chancellor.

Tories said the exchanges cast fresh doubt on Mr Darling's claims that the loss of the information was down to a junior official ignoring proper procedures, with shadow chancellor George Osborne saying the correspondence raised "some very, very serious questions" about Mr Darling's version of events.